RINOs in Congress can’t stand the president. They are ready to fight his agenda at every turn.
And this top RINO is throwing a major wrench in Trump’s plan to drain the swamp.
A Senator’s Stand: Murkowski Defies Trump and Musk’s Billions
In a bold declaration, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has promised to keep speaking out against certain moves by the Trump administration, even if it means facing a billion-dollar backlash from billionaire Elon Musk.
The RINO (Republican In Name Only) senator, whose term runs through 2029, isn’t backing down despite the looming threat of Musk’s financial firepower.
Murkowski, who has already flagged decisions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as potentially “incredibly troubling,” hinted that Musk might weaponize his wealth against her.
He may “take the next billion dollars that he makes off of Starlink and put it directly against me,” she speculated during a Tuesday talk with Alaskan voters. But the senator remains unfazed.
“And you know what, that may happen. But I’m not giving up one minute, one opportunity to try and stand up for Alaskans,” she said, embracing the heat that comes with her stance. “I’m gonna take the criticism that comes.”
The Alaskan senator also pointed a finger at her colleagues in Congress, suggesting many stay silent to avoid political blowback.
“That’s why you got everybody just zip-lipped, not saying a word, because they are afraid they’re going to be taken down, they’re gonna be primaried, they’re gonna be given names in the media,” she observed. For Murkowski, that’s not an option. “You know what? We cannot be cowed into not speaking up.”
Her criticism of the Trump administration isn’t new. She voted against confirming Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense and didn’t hold back after a tense White House meeting between Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a March X post, she laid out her dismay:
“This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine. It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine.”
She added, “I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world.”
This week started with administration officials refusing to acknowledge that Russia started the war in Ukraine. It ends with a tense, shocking conversation in the Oval Office and whispers from the White House that they may try to end all U.S. support for Ukraine. I know foreign…
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) March 1, 2025
Meanwhile, Elon Musk has made no secret of his willingness to bankroll challenges against Republicans who stray from Trump’s playbook.
Responding to a November 2024 X post about his potential role in GOP primaries, the billionaire quipped, “How else? There is no other way.”
For Murkowski, the fight is personal. “Until Alaskans tell me, Lisa, it’s just not working anymore, I’m gonna give you every last breath that I have, and I’m gonna try to solve every little problem, and I’m not gonna compromise my own integrity by hiding from my words when I feel they need to be spoken,” she told voters on Tuesday.
Despite her clashes with Trump, she’s committed to finding “constructive” paths to collaborate with him.
But so far throughout her career, her RINO tendencies have proven that the above commitment may not actually come to fruition.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
